ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Index-based inflation for the week ended on October 22, 2026 recorded an increase of 0.65 percent owing to an escalation in the prices of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), which hiked by 22.44 percent, chicken by 12.2 percent, and onions by 4.19 percent.
The SPI data released here on Friday by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistic (PBS) showed that the prices of other items which witnessed an increase included shirting which rose by 1.86 percent, plain bread by 1.66 percent, wheat flour by 1 percent, garlic by 0.74 percent, firewood by 0.71 percent, georgette and vegetable ghee 1kg by 0.59 percent each, beef by 0.31 percent and pulse mash by 0.30 percent.
According to PBS data during the week under review, the prices of following items witnessed a reduction: tomatoes down by 21.99 percent, petrol by 3.63 percent, banana by 2.42 percent, diesel by 1.68 percent, potatoes by 1.38 percent, pulse gram by 0.93 percent, eggs by 0.58 percent, powdered milk by 0.38 percent and rice basmati broken and sugar by 0.35 percent each.
READ MORE: Weekly SPI inflation down 0.04pc
During the week, of 51 items, the prices of 19 items, which constitute 37.25 percent of the SPI basket, recorded an increase; the prices of 12 items, or 23.53 percent of the basket, recorded a reduction; and the prices of 20 items, or 39.22 percent of the basket, remained stable.
The Year on Year (YoY) trend depicts an increase of 11.85 percent mainly driven by sharp escalation in the prices of LPG which surged by 107.12 percent, onions by 72.81 percent, electricity for Q1 by 58.59 percent, petrol by 44.17 percent, diesel by 41.56 percent, chicken by 38.99 percent, wheat flour by 36.49 percent, chili powder by 15.55 percent, mutton by 14.66 percent, beef by 12.10 percent, plain bread by 10.82 percent and tea prepared by 8.36 percent.
On YoY basis major reduction was observed in the prices of tomatoes, which decreased by 71.72 percent, potatoes by 40.75 percent, sugar by 25.20 percent, eggs by 22.14 percent, salt powder by 14.86 percent, pulse masoorby 8.98 percent, gur by 8.98 percent and pulse moong by 7.05 percent.
Breaking down SPI by income groups, households with a monthly income of up to Rs17,732 registered an increase of 0.51 percent, with SPI went up from 356.35 to 358.18 points. For the Rs17,733-22,888 income group, the SPI went up by 0.49 percent, going up from 359.94 to 361.70 points.
SPI for households with monthly earnings of Rs22,889-29,517 registered an increase of 0.54 percent, going up from 380.62 to 382.69 points, while the Rs29,518-44,175 bracket SPI went up by 0.56 percent going up from 368.03 to 370.10 points. The highest income group, Rs44,175 and above, recorded an increase of 0.74 percent, taking SPI up from 372.22 to 374.99 points. The combined SPI jumped up from 372.43 points to 372.43 points, reflecting an overall increase of 0.65 percent.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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